Bound and Determined
by the-Bookworm-Princess
Summary: Two somebodies get kidnapped. One somebody likes the other somebody. Will their teams be able to find them before the deadline? ShepOC. The summary stinks, but I promise it's good! First story in my "Sex, Lies, and Puddlejumpers" 'verse.
1. Coffee?

Title: Bound and Determined

Author: Jeana

Spoilers: none majorly, but any episode so far is fair game

Pairing: Shep/OC

Summary: Two somebodies get kidnapped. One somebody likes the other somebody. Will their teams be able to find them before the deadline?

Warning: Rated T for violence and some mild language; not anything more than you might see on the show.

Disclaimer: The characters of Elizabeth, Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, Ford, Rodney, Carson, Lorne, and Zelenka belong to Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, MGM, and all that jazz. All other characters are my own and may not be used without permission. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, evil or benign, just might be on purpose.

To Hannah-Banana: Had it not been for you, I never would have known what a "Stargate" was. If not for your urging, I would never have watched "Duet". Thanks. I hope you enjoy not being the editor for once. Hey, _boos_, I made it not be rope, just for you.

To Commodore Norrington: Thank you for insuring that I became hopelessly addicted to this wonderful show. And thank you _sooo_ much for beta-ing this. And for keeping the names straight! giggles Enjoy the woobie-ness! wink, wink

And to my Beffny, my Tigger, my muse: Thanks for being such a good BF and character model. I hope Michael meets your qualifications. ;)

Author's Note: This is my first serious Stargate: Atlantis fic, so please bear with me if the characters are a little off. Let me know, but please be kind. As always, reviews make my day, and if you leave me one, I'll love you for forever. Or until I want something else from you. Some of the Atlantis TV characters have a smaller role in this story, but that is only because I don't have a good handle on them and don't want to do them the injustice of writing them poorly. Now, because I know mispronouncing things bugs _me_, I made a little guide for y'all. Take it or leave it, I careth not.

Evie: EE-vee

Emaria: eh-MAR-ee-ah

Eminiei: ih-MEN-ee-ay

Venalian: ve-NAHL-ee-in

Sha'rik: shah-REEK

Yes, yes, I know. "Shut up and get to the story!" Enjoy!

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**Chapter One - "Coffee?"**

"_I wear a disguise; I'm just your average Jane. The super doesn't stand for 'model', but that doesn't mean I'm plain. If all you see is how I look, you miss the superchick within; and I christen you 'Titanic', underestimate and swim. I've got the rifle, gonna be myself. And I'll be everything that I wanna be. I am confidence in insecurity. I am a voice yet waiting to be heard. I'll shoot the shot - Bang! - that you hear round the world." - Superchick, "One Girl Revolution" _

Late at night, or rather, early in the morning, Colonel Sheppard entered into the commons area(the newly discovered room was serving as a computer station for the time being) with a present for Dr. McKay. "Coffee delivery," he said, waving the steaming cup o' Joe in front of Rodney.

"What would I do without you?" Rodney commented sarcastically, continuing to type on his laptop. "Just set it down, I'm not quite done with my other one."

Sheppard placed the coffee cup beside Rodney's laptop, shaking his head when he saw four other empty cups. He was about to leave, when he noticed Lieutenant Evie Brooks in one of the other chairs, her head resting on her arm on the computer desk. "Is she asleep?"

Rodney glanced up to see who Sheppard meant. "Oh. Yeah. She fell asleep about an hour ago." He returned his attention to his calculations.

"So…we're just going to leave her there?" Sheppard asked.

"If you wanna carry her to her room and tuck her into bed, be my guest," Rodney said, never taking his eyes off the screen.

Sheppard sighed and shook his head. Then, with a sly grin, he grabbed the coffee before Rodney had had a chance to drink any of it. Rodney didn't seem to notice the coffee-nabbing as he studiously checked the numbers on the screen with some calculations on his notepad. Sheppard walked over to Evie and waved the coffee cup under her nose. After a moment, her eyes opened sleepily.

"Coffee?" she murmured, reaching for it.

"It's Dr. McKay's, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing, would you, Rodney?" Sheppard asked.

"Sure, whatever," Rodney replied absently.

Sheppard handed the coffee to Evie, who took a large gulp. She groaned and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Two twenty-eight," Sheppard answered, looking at his watch. "What were you doing working so late?"

Evie blinked several times, still not really awake. "I's working' on…something…" was her delayed response as she waved at the computer screen. Sheppard nodded, trying not to laugh at her zombie-like state. Evie looked at her laptop, squinting at the screen. "Oh, look. The transfer finished," she mumbled, more to herself than Sheppard. "Now I just have to, uhh…" She rubbed her eyes again. "…print it out." She clicked a sequence of commands that started the printing of the notes. She stared blankly at the printer for a minute, then said, "Darn. This is gonna take a while."

"Why don't you go to bed and I'll drop the notes by your room when they're done?" Sheppard suggested, noting how exhausted Evie looked.

"Would you?" she asked with a yawn.

"Sure," Sheppard answered. "I'm going to be up for a while anyways."

"Thanks." Evie began gathering her other scattered papers and disconnected her flash drive.

Rodney reached for his new coffee cup and grasped only air. After searching with his hand for a moment, he looked at where his cup should have been. "What did you do with my coffee?" he asked, annoyed.

Sheppard and Evie laughed. "I'll still be awake when those get done," she told him, "so just knock, okay?" Sheppard nodded and sat down in one of the free chairs. "Thanks again." With that, she left.

"Umm, hello? Still need my coffee back!"

XXXXXX

Just as Evie was pulling back the covers to her bed, she heard a knock on the door of her quarters. "Who is it?" she called.

"The Easter bunny," came the sarcastic reply. "Who else would be at your quarters at nearly three in the morning?"

"Just checking," she answered, coming to the door.

As Sheppard stood by the door, his ATA gene whooshed it open. He couldn't help but smirk when he saw what she was wearing. Red boxers with little black moose all over them, and a white tank top with a map of the London subway system and the words "I'm Going Underground" emblazoned on it. Her straight brunette hair was pulled back into a loose bun, and her hazel eyes blinked at him sleepily as she stood there waiting. "I didn't know you went to England," he said, commenting on her shirt.

"Well, 'I've traveled across the Atlantic Ocean' just doesn't sound as cool as 'I've traveled across the Pegasus galaxy,'" she said with a smile.

"Yeah, it doesn't have that same ring to it," he agreed. "Well, here's thirty-seven pages of absolutely fascinating information on the indigenous peoples of some planet somewhere. Enjoy." He handed her the text.

"Thanks," Evie said. She silently cursed her pajamas when her bra strap slipped down her shoulder as she reached for the papers. "Goodnight."

"'Night." He smiled and then left.

Evie waved her hand in front of the sensor by the door and yanked her mutinous strap back into place once the door was closed. She set the notes on her nightstand and turned off her light, climbing into her bed. She loved working with Colonel Sheppard. They had only been on a handful of missions together, but she always enjoyed his company. She laughed to herself as she remembered how they had first met…

"_So, the cop says he'll let this foreign guy go with just a warning if he can use the words 'green', 'yellow', and 'pink' in a sentence." _

_Evie nodded as she listened to her friend animatedly tell her joke while they got ice cream for dessert. _

_"So the little guy goes, 'Ja, ja, I can do that. So one day I was at my house, and my phone went "green! green!" So I pinked it up and said "Yellow?"'" _

_Evie laughed heartily; she had a weakness for puns. "That's so great, Summer." She turned around a little too quickly to go back to their table and crashed into the man standing behind her, smearing her small bowl of ice cream all over his shirt. She gasped, horrified. _

_"Oh, wow, that's cold," the man said, pulling his saturated shirt away from his body. _

_"Oh, gosh, I am so sorry!" Recognizing him as being one of the military members of the expedition rather than civilian, she quickly added a "sir." Ignoring the shamed heat she could feel flaring in her cheeks, she grabbed some napkins and handed them to him. "Here. I really should have been looking where I was going," she said quickly. "I can't bel--" _

_"Don't worry about it." He cut off her apology as he attempted to wipe the cold dessert off his front. "I won't melt, Miss…" _

_"Brooks. Lieutenant Evie Brooks, sir," she answered, handing him another couple of napkins. _

_He flashed her a smile. "Major John Sheppard. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go change." Evie nodded, embarrassed. Sheppard turned to leave, but couldn't resist calling back, "Nice **bumping** into you, Lieutenant." Evie smiled shyly as she watched him walk off…_

With that amusing memory, Evie rolled over and was soon asleep.


	2. Joint Mission

Author's Note: Thank you so much for all your reviews. Just be patient with Evie; I assure you she is well-rounded. And to you impatient ones: things are gonna get really good in the next chapter. I promise.

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_"Just a day job someone's got to do. It's kinda hard when everyone looks up to you. I try to make it look easy. Gonna make it look good. Like anybody would. I'm just your average, ordinary, everyday superhero. Trying to save the world, but never really sure. I'm just your average, ordinary, everyday superhero, nothing more than that. That's all I really am." - Steve Harwell, "Everyday Superhero" _

Evie began her morning by reading through the notes she had printed out the previous day, before heading to breakfast. After getting a waffle and smothering it with maple syrup, she searched the mess hall for her best friend Summer. She saw her comrade sitting at a table by herself, reading a sci-fi novel.

Captain Summer Akerly sported wavy brown hair that fell a few inches past her shoulders. Her dark brown eyes twinkled every time she smiled, which was often, as she tended to see the good side of everything. Summer had infectious laughter and always managed to cheer up those who weren't in a good mood. She stood a few inches taller than Evie, but then almost everyone did.

Summer and Evie had been best friends since college. After they'd graduated, they'd both decided to enlist in the Air Force, realizing that civilian life wasn't all it was cracked up to be. They had been lucky enough to be assigned under the same commanding officer during their seven years in the service. When Dr. Weir had approached them about the Atlantis mission, both women had emphatically jumped upon the opportunity.

"Good morning, Tigger," Evie greeted her friend, sitting down in the chair opposite Summer.

"Good morning, yourself," Summer said, placing a bookmark in the pages of the story and smiling at her companion.

"So, are you ready to go to Libios?" Evie asked, stabbing a piece of saturated waffle and savoring the sugary taste.

"Michael didn't tell you?" Summer asked, surprised.

"Tell me what?" Evie asked, ravenously devouring another bite.

"That mission got postponed," Summer replied.

"What? Why?" Evie's waffle was momentarily forgotten.

"Dr. Weir wants us to go with Colonel Sheppard's team to M6X-412," Summer explained, her thumb idly rifling the pages of her book. "The DV that the MALP brought back indicated that the inhabitants _could_ be hostile, so she wants to send two teams."

"You mean I read _all_ of Stan's notes from their last visit to Libios for no reason at all!" Evie asked, irritated. She had a bad habit of letting little things like that get under her skin.

Summer laughed. "Poor baby. Dr. Weir says we'll go there sometime next week since it's not as high priority."

Evie sighed. "Fine. At least she isn't pairing us with Mason's team. I cannot _stand_ that guy.

Summer nodded, equally grateful. "Well," she said, standing to leave, "I'll see you in the Control Room at 0930. Enjoy your waffle."

Evie nodded and returned her attention to her breakfast.

XXXXXX

When 0930 rolled around, it found the teams of Colonel Sheppard and Major Johnson gearing up for their mission. Major Joshua Johnson was a small, yet strong, African-American Marine. He had been in the Corps for ten years and had known Dr. Weir for twenty; she had personally selected him for the Atlantis mission. His head was shaved, and the lack of hair seemed to set off his chocolate eyes.

Securing his weapon by his side, Ronon waited silently for the others to finish getting ready. Looking up at Sheppard, he couldn't help but notice how the Colonel was apparently fascinated with watching Evie strap on her 9 mm. Ronon snorted. "See something you like, Sheppard?"

"Sorry?" Sheppard quickly yanked his attention away from staring at Evie.

"You should just tell her."

"Tell who what?" Sheppard asked, trying his best to play innocent.

"Brooks," Ronon replied, not falling for the act. "You like her."

"As a friend, yes," Sheppard responded a little too quickly. Ronon raised an eyebrow and smirked. Sheppard glanced over at Evie to make sure she wasn't looking their way, then he took a step closer to Ronon and whispered, "Is it really that obvious?" Ronon nodded; Sheppard sighed. "You know how people say that when you find something good, you should stick with it?" Ronon stared at him blankly. "Oh. Well they do. And I don't want to ruin the friendship."

Ronon shrugged and opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Johnson asking, "Where is Michael?" Dr. Michael Murphy, the only member of Johnson's team not present, was a great addition to the Atlantis mission but had a slight problem with punctuality.

"Here!" called the young anthropologist, practically running into the Control Room. His pack was filled near to bursting and there were several notebooks poking out of the pockets. He had dark green eyes that peered out from behind a small set of rimless glasses. A few strands of his thick, black hair were constantly falling in front of his face, no matter how many times he swept them away. He was just a few pounds overweight, but Summer, who had been engaged to him for five months, claimed this just made him "a bigger teddy bear."

The planet was dialed and the pair of teams stepped cautiously through the Stargate. The Gate was in the middle of a clearing that was surrounded on three sides by tall forest. To the North, the explorers could see a settlement about a mile away. Keeping a hand on their weapons, they began walking.

They had nearly reached the city when a sudden voice startled them. "Halt!" The two teams looked up to see several men in uniforms aiming sophisticated-looking weapons at them. Their own guns were immediately trained on the men.

"Easy," Sheppard said, holding up a hand. "We come in peace."

"Did you come through the portal?" asked a tall, red haired man.

"Yes. We're…explorers," Sheppard explained.

"We shall see," the man, apparently the leader of the group, shot back. "Lower your weapons." Realizing that they were outnumbered two to one, the two teams slowly eased their weapons toward the ground. The red haired man grunted a few commands to his men, and the soldiers were soon escorting the explorers through the streets of the city. The armed militia led them to a large building with impressive architectural design. The carrot-topped leader spoke to one of the armed guards standing by the entrance and then ushered the Atlanteans inside.

"Wait here," he ordered, then disappeared down a corridor. There was the faint sound of a door opening and closing. The group waited impatiently for about five minutes, then they heard the door opening again. Red returned, this time joined by another man. The new gentleman was very short; his head, covered in ebony curls, would not have even come up to Teyla's shoulder. He had beady blue eyes that were overwhelmed by his enormous, bushy eyebrows and the little black mustache above his lip immediately made the American team members think of Charlie Chaplin. "I present to you Lord Stefan," Red said, gesturing with his hand to the round little man.

"Welcome to Emaria!" Stefan greeted with a broad smile. He clasped Sheppard's hand. "I am Stefan Emeniei, ruler of this humble city. This is Jakof Marong," he gestured to Carrot-Top, "Captain of the Emarian Militia."

"Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard," the pilot replied, shaking the man's hand. He quickly introduced the other seven.

"It has been so long since we have had visitors," Stefan said. "From where have you come?"

"A, uh, galaxy far, far away," Sheppard answered with an easy grin.

"And what brings you to Emaria?" Stefan asked.

"We're explorers," Sheppard stated simply. "And always looking to trade."

"You are looking to form an alliance with us?"

"Yes, sir," Sheppard nodded.

"Wonderful." Stefan truly seemed overjoyed. "But let us talk negotiations later. Would you like to see the city?"

"That'd be great." Sheppard nodded.

"Come," Stefan said, taking the Colonel by the elbow and leading him toward the entrance of the grand building. "I will show you myself."

The city of Emaria wasn't very large, only covering about two and a half square miles. Stefan showed his guests the highlights of the metropolis. The team ascertained that the Emarians were fairly technologically advanced, although not as far as Earth, and nowhere near as much as the Ancients. They seemed to be a very civilized people, and for the most part, peaceful. The DV that had been taken by the MALP had shown the soldiers having target practice near the Stargate, and after what had happened with the Genii and the Sudarians, Dr. Weir didn't want to take any chances. So two teams had been sent. Now, however, the Atlanteans decided that there was nothing to fear.

While Stefan Emeniei was addressed as "Lord", he didn't rule over his people like a king or a tyrant. He functioned more as a magistrate, and it was obvious that the Emarians loved him. The Emarian society was mainly agricultural, and there were many different crops that were grown, as well as an assortment of odd-looking livestock; Summer had been fascinated by the three-eyed "cow" creature. Atlantis would definitely benefit by becoming a friend to and trade partner of the Emarians.

As Stefan led his guests down one of the streets of Emaria, a young woman walked by, leading an animal that was nearly a carbon copy of an Earth donkey. When Sheppard saw Rodney staring at the creature, he couldn't resist teasing his comrade. "What are you doing, Rodney? Checking out her ass?" he asked with a grin, gesturing to the mule look-alike. Rodney gave him a look.

Before returning to his office to do "lordly" things, Stefan extended an invitation for the teams to dine with him that evening. The teams accepted, saying that they would first radio their base and report back. "Excellent," Stefan said, shaking the hands of Johnson and Sheppard once more. "In the meantime, I'm sure the inhabitants can show you around further, if you wish."

"Thank you, sir," Johnson said, and with that, the team began exploring the city in more detail. Michael was, of course, examining everything, talking to the inhabitants, and scribbling notes in his journal as fast as his hand could write. Summer and Evie, seeing a group of small children playing on the street, decided it would be fun to teach them hopscotch. While the others wandered off in various directions, Sheppard and Johnson talked with Jakof, learning more about the Emarian militia and the fascinating weapons they had.

At 0200, the appointed time to report back, Johnson went back to the gate, taking Ronon with him. After hearing the good news, Elizabeth stated that she would arrive at 0600(with an escort, of course) to join Lord Stefan for dinner and to negotiate an alliance and trade agreements. She _was_ the diplomatic one after all.

Shortly after Johnson and Ronon left, Sheppard bid Jakof and the militia men adieu until later that evening. He walked over to where the children were playing and watched in amusement as Evie demonstrated the game to the little ones. Summer was playing dolls with two of the smallest girls.

Evie picked up the stone and began hopping back to the beginning. "Oh, snap!" she muttered as she landed back at the start.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?" Sheppard asked.

"My belt just broke," she answered in frustration, grabbing the waistband of her pants to keep them from slipping. "Can I borrow yours?"

He laughed and answered with a smile, "It would go around you twice."

She sighed. "Do you want my pants to fall down?"

He paused, formulating his response in his head first. With a boyish grin he asked, "Is this one of those questions where I lie so you don't slap me?"

With a coy smile, Evie replied, "If you didn't outrank me, I just might. _Sir._"


	3. Author's Note

**Author's Note: Okay, y'all, first off, don't take any of the following "bitchiness" to heart; I'm freakin' PMS-ing, and people snap-judging my OC isn't helping matters any. First off, I'm the _author_, and _I_ have decided to take a different angle on this story, compared to my works in the past. Instead of simply writing Shep and Evie's developing relationship(which would take, like, forever), I wanted to start the story with an established "good friends" relationship between them. Then, the patient readers would get to see how their relationship evolved through _flashbacks_. This is a very different angle than normal, but I'm enjoying it. If you stick it out, you hopefully won't be disappointed. And, dudes, it's not gonna be that long, I promise you. I don't do novels. ;) So before you leave me a review about "this is a stupid Mary-Sue fic" or "what the heck? he already has a crush on her!111111" please consider the fact that _I'm not done yet_. You can hate on my story all you want _at the end_. If you don't make it that far, well, so sad for you. **

**Again, sorry if that seemed kinda harsh. Don't mess with an author when she's PMS-ing. **

**And if there were any guys reading this(doubtful), I'm sorry about mentioning the PMS thing. Whoops. There I go again. Anyways, special thanks to rogue1503, Commodore Norrington, Corvaisis, and my Tigger for not givin' up on me. Y'all rock and you know it. Hey, Hannah, when I post the next chapter(hopefully in just a day or two), you can see what happens to "My Poor Baby!" :giggles: ;);)**


	4. Tricks and a Mistake or 'Dupes and Oops'

**Author's Note: Sorry about that earlier A/N, but I was having a very bad day; hopefully, postingthis one early will make up for it. I hope this chapter makes you happy, Tigger!

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**

**Chapter Three - "Tricks and a Mistake (or 'Dupes and Oops')"**

_"Can't wait 'til they get what they deserve. This time somebody's gettin' hurt. Here comes the next contestant. Is that your hand on my girlfriend? Is that your hand? I wish you'd do it again. I'll watch you leave here limping. I wish you'd do it again. I'll watch you leave here limping. I wish you'd do it again. Each night seems like it's gettin' worse. I wish you'd do it again. This time somebody's gettin' hurt." - Nickelback, "Next Contestant" _

"Where are you going?" Evie asked when she saw Sheppard holstering his weapon.

"Marong said that there was a strange temple about a mile away from the city that he thinks I should check out. Care to join me?"

"Sure," she nodded, grabbing her 9 mm from the gear she had laid down and strapping it on. She called to Summer and told her where they were going. Just as she and Sheppard started walking, Evie noticed that her shoelace had come untied and so bent over to remedy the situation. After a few seconds, she noticed that Sheppard was looking her over. "What was that!" she asked, quickly straightening up, the lace snugly tied.

"What was what?" he asked, his face a perfect mask of innocence.

"You were looking!" Evie accused.

"I was not," Sheppard answered indignantly.

"You were _totally_ looking."

"I would never," Sheppard said, defending himself. Evie crossed her arms and frowned slightly. "Okay…maybe I would," he conceded, "but I didn't." Evie faintly raised her eyebrows, still not believing him. "Okay…maybe I did, but only a little," he confessed at last.

Evie sighed, shaking her head. "Men are hopeless."

"Well, you said it yourself, it's men, not just me."

"Are you ready to go, Colonel?" she asked, effectively changing the subject.

"Yes, ma'am." He answered in mock deference. They began walking and Sheppard's larger strides soon put him several feet in front of Evie.

"Hey, no fair," she called. "You've got longer legs."

"So walk faster, Shorty," he teased, slowing his pace slightly to allow her to catch up. "Hey, what was with you and Jakof?" he asked after a minute. "You really layed into him when he tried to just talk to you."

Evie looked down. "Yeah… He reminds me of someone…"

"Someone?" Sheppard made a rolling motion with his hands.

"An old boyfriend," she said after a pause. "He even looks like him."

"Bad memories?" Sheppard asked, curious as to what the person from her past could have done to cause her to react to Jakof the way she did.

Evie's jaw tightened and she felt her temper flare; she couldn't believe he was pressing the matter! "Yeah. The jerk played me for six months!" she replied, the hostility evident in her voice. "Is there anything else you want to know about my personal life?" She was aware that she was now raising her voice to someone who outranked her. She quickly dropped her eyes. "Sir, I'm sorry…I just…" she trailed off and continued walking.

After an awkward pause, Sheppard said softly, "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have pressed."

"You're fine," she replied. "I told myself that I had stopped caring years ago, anyway."

Instead of letting an awkward silence set in, Sheppard attempted to change the subject. "Oh yeah, what was it that you and Akerly were laughing about so hysterically earlier?"

"Oh!" Evie began giggling. "Well, you know how JoAnna Beckerdite can be a bit of a blonde sometimes?" Sheppard nodded his head; instead of stupid mistakes being called "blonde moments", they were now referred to as "pulling a JoAnna" on Atlantis. She was a brilliant computer scientist, but wasn't the brightest crayon in the box when it came to other subjects. "Well, Captain Jacobs was telling her about his sister who had gotten married just a week before the Captain had joined the Atlantis mission. He said that his sister was from Milwaukee and that her new husband was from Puerto Rico. Then, completely serious, JoAnna said, 'Wait! Aren't those two countries fighting right now?'" Sheppard laughed in response. Evie and Summer had been nearly rolling on the floor that morning. He hadn't seen her giggle that much since…

_"We could make the loser drink hot sauce like last time," Michael suggested, writing the names of the players down on the notepad in front of him. _

_"We could, but I don't think that Dr. Grodin would enjoy vomiting all over the mess hall again, would you Peter?" Zelenka asked, grinning at the scientist seated next to him. _

_Peter gave the Czech a wry smile. "Funny, Doctor, but I do believe that your winning streak has come to an end." Zelenka shrugged. _

_"Is it to be just the six of us this evening?" asked Carson, reaching for Rodney's bag of chips. _

_"Major Johnson would have been here but he had a date with one of th-- Hey! Those are my special salt-free, low fat chips!" Rodney cried, snatching the bag away from the doctor. _

_"Aye, and they're bloody disgusting," Carson replied with a frown as he reached for his water bottle. "How can you eat those things?" _

_"You guys haven't started yet, have you?" Ford asked, entering the room where the other Atlantis men had gathered to see how their lucked fared with the dice. _

_"You made it just in time," Sheppard said, adding another chair to the table. _

_"Good," Ford said, sitting down next to the Major. "Because I have the **best** idea for a penalty." They had stopped playing for money several weeks ago. They now played for laughs, as the loser was forced to do something embarrassing. The men slowly grinned as Ford explained his suggestion. _

_"That's great," Sheppard said, and the other men quickly agreed. _

_"Wait, are we doing this to Dr. Weir?" Michael asked, reaching for his soft drink. _

_"Nope." Ford shook his head and grinned. "Whatever woman the loser runs into first." _

_"Even better!" Peter declared with an impish grin. _

_"Alright, gentlemen, we know the wager," Rodney said, shaking the dice in his hand. "Good luck." _

_XXXXXX_

_"Well," Michael said, quickly tallying up the scores on the notepad, "Zelenka is still the reigning champion." They were several groans around the table. "Although Rodney was a close second." _

_"Please tell me I didn't lose for the third week in a row," Peter said, glancing worriedly at the numbers in the hand of the anthropologist beside him. _

_"No," Michael said, shaking his head. "You came in second to last, with two hundred points more than…Major Sheppard." _

_Sheppard rolled his eyes and sighed as his coworkers, his friends, laughed in anticipation of what was to come. Ford elbowed his superior teasingly. "C'mon, Major. Let's go find your victim." Rodney quickly put the dice away and the small group stepped out of the room and into the hall, searching for the nearest female. _

_As it was late, there weren't many people around. Knowing there would be a few geeks working late, they stopped at one of the computer labs, the men ushering Sheppard in first. There was only a handful of people working, and they all appeared to be men. Ford grinned, however, when he saw Evie talking with one of the scientists. "Brooks," he said, pointing to the young lady and pushing Sheppard forward. _

_"Ford, I really don--" _

_"Lieutenant?" Ford called. _

_"Sir?" Evie looked up, searching for who had addressed her. _

_"Could you come here for a moment?" Ford was grinning from ear to ear now, as were the other men. _

_"I'll talk to you tomorrow," she told the young scientist before walking over to the group of smirking men. She gave the ensemble a weird look. "Yes, Aiden?" Realizing that it wasn't a superior officer who had summoned her, she reverted to his first name, as they were fairly good friends. _

_"Major Sheppard has something to tell you," he informed her with a boyish grin, his eyes glinting mischievously. Evie looked to Sheppard, who just stood there, motionless. "Major?" Ford said, nudging his superior. _

_Sheppard sighed. This would teach him not to gamble. And with all the scientists watching! He cleared his throat and silently prayed that he could at least stay on-key. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray." His cheeks starting to flush, he looked to Ford, hoping the man had had enough, but the Lieutenant merely grinned and made a rolling motion with his hand, prompting Sheppard to finish. "You'll never know, dear--" his comrades snickered quietly as he attempted to hit the higher note "--how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." His companions, as well as the other occupants of the room, laughed as they applauded. _

_Ford clapped Sheppard on the shoulder, "That was great, Major. You'd completely sweep the Atlantis Grammys," he joked. _

_After recovering from a momentary giggle fit, Evie asked, "Major…do I even **want** to know?" _

_Sheppard shook his head. "I think I'm going to leave now," he said, turning to go, the other men slowly exiting the room with the occasional attack of repeat laughter. _

_"Thanks for the serenade, sir," she teased as she watched him beat a hasty retreat…_

"And just what are you smirking about, Colonel?" she asked, drawing him from his daydream.

"Nothing," he answered as they moved into an area of the wood where the trees were closer together. He saw the knuckles flying towards him for only a split second, then he was sprawled on the ground, knocked down by the force of the blow. Evie gasped and nearly tripped over her fallen companion. She looked up at Sheppard's attacker and froze.

Slightly dazed by the sudden blow to his face, Sheppard gingerly sat up, bringing his fingers up to his throbbing nose. When he withdrew them, they were covered in blood. Then he looked up and saw what had stopped Evie dead in her tracks. There were two men wearing hoods hovering over them. One of them had a pistol pointed at Evie's head. The other brute held a large knife with a menacing looking blade.

"What the hell is this?" the thug with the knife snarled. "He was supposed to be _alone_."

"Well, we can't just leave her here, now can we?" the second man snapped. He swore at Evie before grabbing her arm and twisting it roughly behind her back. Evie cried out in pain and struggled against her assailant. "Don't even think about it, _sweetheart_, or not only will my buddy here slit your friend's throat, but I'll blow you to kingdom come," he growled. Evie stopped fighting against the man and looked down at Sheppard, frightened.

"Get up," the first man growled, pointing his knife at John.

Glaring at the man, Sheppard slowly stood to his feet. He would have made a grab for his gun a long time ago, but didn't want to risk harm to Evie. When he looked over at her, he could see the fear in her eyes. "What the hell do you want?" he asked his captors, not a hint of panic evident in his voice.

"Shut up. Search 'em," the thug holding Evie ordered. The man with the knife nodded and quickly removed Sheppard's gun, tossing it into a bush several yards away. Then he began to frisk him, checking carefully to make sure the Colonel wasn't carrying any other weapons. He found John's knife and quickly confiscated it, placing it in his pocket. Then he yanked Sheppard's radio rather unceremoniously from his ear and stashed it with his prisoner's blade. Satisfied, he turned and looked Evie slowly up and down. Evie rolled her eyes in disgust.

Quickly seizing her gun, he sent it to join Sheppard's. "Your turn, baby," he sneered lasciviously as he proceeded to search her thoroughly. Very thoroughly. Evie stiffened as the man's hands wandered a little further than necessary.

"Get your hands off her," Sheppard growled, a thread of steel in his voice.

"You, Colonel, are in no position to demand anything," the man scoffed, sliding his hand up Evie's thigh. Evie kicked the man hard in the shin and was rewarded by her captor forcing her arm up higher. She inhaled sharply, but didn't cry out, refusing to give him that satisfaction. Deciding that Evie was free of any extra weapons, the man reluctantly removed his hands from her body, much to Evie's relief. He ripped out her earpiece as well, but threw it to the ground and crushed it under the heel of his boot.

He then walked over to Sheppard and fished a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, cuffing the Colonel's hands tightly behind his back. "Glad I brought an extra set just in case," he muttered to himself as he bound Evie's wrists as well.

The man strode over to stand behind Sheppard, and prodded the Colonel with the tip of his knife. "Walk," he ordered, guiding Sheppard with harsh pokes. John glanced back worriedly at Evie. His abductor jabbed him roughly with his blade. "Don't worry about your girlfriend, just keep moving," he growled. Not wanting to risk harm to Evie, Sheppard did as he was told. They were in trouble. Deep trouble.


	5. I'm All Tied Up, With no Place to Go

**Chapter Four - "I'm All Tied Up, With no Place to Go"**

_"I can't read what's happening. It's hard to breathe. I can't feel. Now stiff and still I await, apprehensive, at the gate. Should I lie here, spent and exhausted, and hold to hope in desperation?" - Android Lust, "Panic Wrought"_

After what seemed an eternity, the captors guided Sheppard and Evie to a clearing where there were many buildings. It appeared to be a small town. It must have been deserted, though, as there was not a soul in sight. The two thugs shoved their prisoners through the entrance of a small building. The structure appeared to have only two rooms, a front one and a slightly larger back one, which Sheppard and Evie were forced into. The only piece of furniture in the dimly lit room was a table, which had several thick chains, a couple small padlocks, and some old rags resting on its surface.

Both men removed their hoods, wiping the sweat from their faces. Sheppard recognized the man with the gun as Kenno Marshala, one of the militia men they had met earlier. He was young, couldn't have been older than his early twenties, and had a lanky build. He whipped his head slightly to the side, flipping a lock of his wavy, dark brown hair out of his face. His green eyes were cold and unfeeling as he stared at his prisoners through the lenses of his glasses.

Neither hostage could identify the other man. He was much shorter than Kenno. Stouter, too. His eyes were light blue and he, too, saw the world through the aid of spectacles. This thug didn't quite have the handsome face that Kenno had, and his light, crew cut hair was in sharp contrast with Marshala's tresses.

Kenno threw Evie violently onto the floor, where she landed with a grunt. Sheppard took a step toward her, incensed by the man's brutality , but was stopped by the cold blade of a knife at his throat. He slowly clenched and unclenched his fists as he was forced to stand idly by and watch as Kenno removed Evie's shoes and crossed her feet at the ankles, wrapping the chain tightly around her feet and securing it with the lock. Finished with her, he shoved her aside and did the same to Sheppard.

Once both the hostages were tightly bound, Kenno grabbed the rags and used them to gag his prisoners. Satisfied that Evie and Sheppard were safely secured, the two men retreated to the outer room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Ever the optimist, Evie immediately began struggling against her restraints, but the chains held fast. She quickly gave up after a moment. Her hands behind her back, Evie was unable to wipe away the lone tear that slowly trickled down her cheek. She looked over at Sheppard, frightened and worried.

Sheppard's emerald eyes were emotionless as he stared at the wall in front of him, more furious than frightened. There was no temple. He had been set up. Even worse than that, he had gotten Evie caught up in this…whatever it was. He hated the feeling of helplessness that began to come over him. The feeling that there was absolutely nothing he could do to get out of his predicament. Not at the moment, anyway.

Evie lay there for several moments, trying to calm her nerves. Then she struggled against the handcuffs once again, feeling the metal digging into her skin. Realizing that she was not going to be able to slip out of them, she decided to try something different. She rolled over onto her side and began trying to pull her hands down behind her knees. Sheppard watched with interest as Evie grunted and pulled against the chain, trying desperately to get the cuffs to cooperate. With a pained groan, she managed to slide her hands down so that the chain connecting the cuffs was now resting against the back of her knees.

Evie rested her arms for a minute, breathing heavily, and then rolled over onto her back, trying to pull the chain over her feet. She grunted and panted as she fought with the harsh metal. After struggling for a moment, she lifted her feet up in the air, bending them at a slight angle, and managed to bring the chain around her feet so that her bound hands were now in front of her. Evie brought them up to her face and quickly pulled her gag down. Then she let her arms drop to the floor and panted, the not-so-simple struggle having momentarily exhausted her. When she saw Sheppard raise an eyebrow, she gently pulled his gag down as well.

"Thanks." He tried to rid himself of the taste of the old rag, his mouth now dry. He sighed; no way were _his_ hands going anywhere. "Judging by what they said, those guys were only after me," he said softly. "I'm so sorry that you got dragged into this."

"Not your fault," she whispered, her lips and tongue desperate for a few drops of water. "Besides, this is definitely more exciting than talking politics over dinner with Lord Stefan." Sheppard smiled slightly. After a minute, Evie asked quietly, "How long do you think it will take our teams to realize something happened to us?"

"Maybe an hour, give or take," he replied with a shrug.

"And then?"

"They'll radio Atlantis, Atlantis will send reinforcements, and they'll find us sooner or later," he answered with nonchalance.

"You seem so unconcerned," she said, a little surprised.

"It's not like this is the first time I've been held prisoner," he reminded her.

"Well, I'm a newbie to the whole being kidnapped thing, so forgive me if I'm a little skeptical."

He chuckled softly. "It's just one of those things that you have to wait out, unfortunately."

"Let's hope we don't have to wait long," she sighed.

* * *

"I'm sure they're fine," Major Johnson assured a very worried Summer. "Colonel Sheppard and Lieutenant Brooks can take care of themselves."

"With all due respect, sir, it can't possibly take three hours to explore an abandoned temple," Summer countered.

"They've been gone that long?" Johnson hadn't been around when they had left.

"Yes, sir," Summer said, nodding. "And I highly doubt they just got lost. If it was just Evie, then yeah, but Colonel Sheppard has a good sense of direction."

Johnson thought for a moment, then ordered, "Radio Atlantis. Give Dr. Weir a heads up. We'll go out and search for them. Tell her we'll report back at 0600."

"Yes, sir." Summer picked up her P-90 and secured it.

"Oh, and Captain?" She looked up at him as she strapped on her 9 mm. "Take Murphy with you. I've suddenly got a bad feeling about this. But I don't want the Emarians thinking that we suspect foul play."

"Understood, sir."

XXXXXX

"And you have no idea who told them about this temple?" Johnson asked as they returned from searching. They had begun canvassing an area of the forest based on the direction in which Sheppard and Evie had left.

"No, sir." Summer shook her head. Now she felt horrible that she hadn't gotten more information from them before they left. "Evie just said that they were going to explore an abandoned temple. That was it."

"Are we not going to continue searching?" Teyla asked, disapproving of stopping their efforts.

"Their sun has…_suns have_ already started to set," Johnson said, pointing to the bright orbs that were beginning their descent. "It will be dark in a matter of minutes, and I don't want to risk anyone else going missing."

"What would anyone seek to gain by taking them?" Michael asked worriedly.

"We don't know that anyone took them," Johnson interjected.

"It is the only logical explanation," Rodney insisted. "Sheppard doesn't 'get lost.'"

"But why would the Emarians hold them hostage?" Michael asked again.

"Bargaining chip," Ronan answered simply, a hint of anger in his voice.

"There could be other inhabitants on this planet," Teyla pointed out. "We can not assume that the Emarians are the ones responsible."

Ronan shrugged. "I say we talk to that Stefan guy. I'll bet he knows where they are."

"We aren't going to do anything further without orders from Dr. Weir," Johnson stated in his commanding voice. And no one was going to argue.

When they reached the Stargate, they established a wormhole and gave Dr. Weir the bad news, that they couldn't find either teammate.

"We will send reinforcements at first light," Elizabeth decided. "However, I want you to stay in the city overnight, just in case they return. And, Major Johnson, I want you and Michael to stand guard by the Gate in case they show up there."

"Yes, ma'am." With that, the Gate was shut off. As Rodney, Summer, Teyla, and Ronon began making their way back to the city in the twilight, Johnson turned to Michael. "Do you want to sleep first, or shall I?"

* * *

Sheppard and Evie sat in their prison for several hours. They were silent for the most part, speaking only in hushed tones, not wanting to alert their captors to the partial freedom of Evie's hands. The very bored Lieutenant looked at her watch. It was past ten o'clock. Evie sighed. "And I was so hoping we wouldn't miss dinner." Sheppard was about to reply, when they heard someone coming.

Evie quickly replaced Sheppard's gag, as well as her own, and then began frantically trying to bring her hands behind her back again. As she was in a desperate hurry, for she could now hear a key sliding into the lock, she struggled harder against the chain and whimpered as she felt the cuffs cutting into her skin. She grunted in pain, managing to bring her arms behind her back just as the door opened.

Both men stepped into the dark room, and Kenno nodded toward Evie. The other man, the shorter one, quickly moved to kneel behind her, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back. In a flash, his knife was out of its sheath and pressed against her neck. "Just a little incentive for you not to try anything," Kenno explained, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocking the padlock on Sheppard's chain. Casting the restraints aside, he yanked the Colonel to his feet and shoved him into the other room, slamming the door behind him.

Kenno forced Sheppard into a chair and removed his gag. "Who is in charge of your expedition?" he asked. Sheppard just stared at his captor, defiant and silent. Kenno gave his prisoner a wry grin before punching him squarely on the jaw. Sheppard made no sound, but recovered from the blow quickly, staring at his tormentor once more. "I'll ask again." It was obvious that Kenno was growing impatient. "Who heads your expedition?"

"Dr. Weir," Sheppard answered after a pause.

"Thank you. And how might I reach him?"

Sheppard chuckled slightly at the incorrect pronoun. "Well, you could reach _her_ using that radio you took from me. But you'd have to be within a thousand feet of the Gate with an open wormhole, and there's no way I'm giving you the address."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Kenno contended menacingly.

"What're you gonna do?" Sheppard shot back, his tone and body language rebellious. "Knock me around some more?"

"No." Kenno shook his head. "Hurting _you_ wouldn't get us anywhere…" Sheppard's eyebrows raised slightly in realization. "The Lieutenant on the other han--"

"You lay a finger on her," Sheppard growled, "and I'l--"

"You'll what?" Kenno sneered. "Colonel, you are handcuffed, and my man has a knife to your girlfriend's throat in there. I would seriously consider cooperation."

Sheppard's shoulders drooped and he looked down, defeated. After having a quick internal debate, he looked up at his captor, his glare shooting daggers into the man. "Let's go."

* * *

Elizabeth had just gotten another cup of coffee for Carson and one for herself, when the Stargate suddenly activated. "Incoming wormhole," called the technician working the Gate controls.

"From where?" Elizabeth asked, walking briskly over to the control panel and watching at the gate.

"M6X-412," the tech replied.

"Let's hope it's good news," Elizabeth commented, the hope within her swelling. "Is there an IDC?"

"No, ma'am. Wait…" He brought a hand up to his earpiece. "We are receiving a radio transmission." He hit a button and patched the feed into the Control Room speakers.

"Dr. Weir, I believe I have something that belongs to you," came Kenno's voice over the radio.

"Who is this?" Elizabeth asked.

"You can call me Varkin," he replied. "But names are not important."

"And just what is it you want, Varkin?" Elizabeth inquired.

"Several dozen armor-piercing weapons, a ship, and C-4," came Kenno's demands. "Lots of it."

Elizabeth sighed; mandates like this were quickly getting old. "And exactly what do you possess that you think we want badly enough to meet these outrageous demands?"

"Two of your people. Lieutenant Brooks and Colonel, oh, what was his name…Ah. Colonel Sheppard."

There was a collective gasp throughout the Control Room. "And how do I know you're not bluffing?" Elizabeth asked, not letting her concern show.

There was some muffled speech on the other end, and then Sheppard's voice came across the radio. "Hey, Elizabeth. Guess I kinda got myself in trouble again."

Kenno's voice drowned out whatever Sheppard had been attempting to say next. "I will give you one day. If my demands are not met by noon tomorrow, I will kill your people," he said, delivering his ultimatum. "I will give you a moment to let this sink in." He fell silent, but didn't sever the Gate connection.

"Weren't there two men guarding the Gate?" asked a nervous Carson, who had been in the Control Room giving Elizabeth updates on a patient.

"Major Johnson and Dr. Murphy," she replied, continuing to stare at the Gate.

"Dr. Weir!" Elizabeth looked up to see Dr. Zelenka hurrying up the stairs. "Dr, Weir, to have radio contact with us, he must be within a thousand feet of the Stargate," he said when he reached her. "Once he severs the connection, shouldn't we be able to dial the planet again, send men through, and apprehend this Varkin?"

"Major Lorne!" Elizabeth spoke into her mic.

"Ma'am?" Major Lorne and his team had just gotten back from a mission and were depositing their weapons in the armory.

"I need you and your team back here, ASAP," Elizabeth ordered.

"Yes, ma'am. Alright men, you heard her. Let's go." Grabbing their weapons once more, they quickly ran to the Control Room.

"Major Lorne, we have a situation. Colonel She--"

"Have you made your decision?" Kenno's voice startled everyone in the room.

Zelenka double-timed it down the stairs and over to Major Lorne and his men. He quickly explained the state of affairs to them as Elizabeth chewed her lip worriedly. "I have," she answered simply.

"And?" It was obvious Kenno was growing impatient.

"We are going to need some time," Elizabeth answered, praying that she was making the right choice.

"Just so long as you meet the deadline. Radio back tomorrow by noon. And, Dr. Weir, don't forget what's at stake," he said menacingly. With that, he shut off the wormhole.

"Dial the planet!" Elizabeth ordered the technician. The techie quickly hit the appropriate buttons on the DHD and the Gate activated. As soon as the wormhole was open, Major Lorne's team rushed through the Stargate, weapons ready to fire. When the last man was through, the technician shut down the Gate.

The next few minutes went by agonizingly slow for everyone in the Control Room as they stared at the Stargate. Elizabeth nearly jumped out of her skin when the alarm began blaring as the lights on the Gate began spinning.

"Major Lorne's IDC, ma'am," the technician said as the event horizon "kawooshed." Lorne stepped back through the Gate.

"Did you get him?" Elizabeth asked, ever hopeful.

"No, ma'am," he said sadly, shaking his head. The rest of his men soon rematerialized through the Gate as well. "The bastard used some kind of transmitter. He dialed Atlantis, established a radio connection, left the transmitter, and then used another radio to communicate with us. I'm guessing by the look of the device that he could have been anywhere within a three-mile radius." Elizabeth let out a despairing sigh and looked down. "We tried to search the area, ma'am," Lorne added. "But this planet has no moon; all we had were the stars and our flashlights. We didn't see any signs of Murphy or Johnson either."

"Thank you, Major," Elizabeth said, rubbing a hand over her tired face and motioning for the technician to shut off the Gate. "You and your men are free to go."

"Yes, ma'am." He and his men slowly left the Control Room.

Elizabeth groaned and held a tired hand to her forehead. She looked up when she heard the familiar Czech accent. "Dr. Weir?"

"Yes, Radek?"

"I think I _might_ be able to trace the signal," Zelenka said tentatively, offering another ray of hope.

"You mean you could pinpoint a location?" Elizabeth asked optimistically.

"Nono, sorry." He shook his head and then raised his finger. "But I _should_ be able to narrow the area to be searched."

"_That_," she said, clasping his shoulders and smiling slightly, "is the best news I've heard all day." Zelenka gave her one of his shy little smiles. "I'll have Major Lorne escort us there as soon as day breaks."

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Evie heard the door to the building open and close. She breathed a sigh of relief when Sheppard was forced into the room. Kenno shoved him roughly to the floor and proceeded to bind his feet once again. He replaced his prisoner's gag, then said with a smile, "You two have a good night." The shorter captor released Evie, and the two men retreated to the outer room, locking the door behind them.

Evie waited several minutes before once again freeing her arms. Once she removed the rag from Sheppard's mouth, he proceeded to tell her what had transpired. She took the news about the one-day deadline rather well.

"I guess we should try to get some sleep" he said quietly after a while. Evie sighed in frustration. Sheppard looked over at her. "What?"

"You'll think it's silly," she mumbled.

"Try me," he murmured.

"I need cuddles to fall asleep," she said, shivering from the chilly night air.

"Well, don't look at me," he replied quickly. "That would be highly inappropriate behavior."

Evie giggled quietly. "No, you goof. Cuddles is my bear," she explained in a hushed voice. "She's the one personal item that I brought. Had her since I was two."

"Oh."

"You men really do have a one-track mind, don't you?" she asked, shaking her head.

Sheppard shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes."

"Well," Evie said, rolling over onto her side, "God-willing, I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, sir."

"Sweet dreams," he whispered, trying to find a comfortable position.

"Ha!"


	6. Of Chains and Corsets

**Author's note: Commodore, I hope you enjoy your cameo. ;)

* * *

**

**Chapter Five - "Of Chains and Corsets"**

_"You are my security. Now that I got it, can't go without it. 'Cause I need you, need you to keep me from going crazy. I can't pretend that I don't need you. With all this stuff in my life I just don't know what to do. Every time I'm afraid of what's in front of me, you keep me from going crazy. The show's done, but the tape keeps rolling. Can't push stop 'cause my life is recording. All this pressure keeps on pressing. You keep me from going crazy." - PlusOne, "Going Crazy"_

Bright sunlight streaming in from the window awoke Sheppard the next morning. Funny, he hadn't noticed the window yesterday. He stretched out his legs and shifted his weight off his right arm, which had fallen asleep. He rolled somewhat awkwardly onto his other side, looking for Evie. He saw her lying in the corner, motionless, in a dark puddle. Was that blood? He managed to get to his knees and slowly began inching his way over to her. His stomach flip-flopped when his nose confirmed that the red liquid was indeed blood. When he finally reached her, his jaw dropped in horror. The blood in which Evie's lifeless body lay had come from a large, jagged wound across her throat. Suddenly, he heard a sinister voice behind him. "You're next, Colonel."

Sheppard jerked awake. He was panting and covered in sweat. He quickly rolled over and squinted, searching for the Lieutenant. When his eyes finally adjusted to the dim light coming from under the door, he was able to make out her silhouette only a few feet away from him. Evie was curled up in a ball, but he could see the steady rise and fall of her chest. He let his head drop back to the floor and sighed heavily. "Get a grip, John," he muttered to himself as he concentrated on calming his racing heart. After watching Evie for a while through tired, heavy eyes, sleep overtook Sheppard once more.

* * *

Guns aimed and ready to fire, Major Lorne and his men, along with Doctors Zelenka and Weir, stepped cautiously through the Stargate. The first thing that they saw were two bodies about three hundred yards away. The team ran as fast as their legs would carry them to the two bodies, which they quickly saw were Johnson and Michael. Elizabeth immediately rushed to Johnson, as he was closest to her. She quickly felt his neck for a pulse as Lorne ran over to Michael, who lay a few feet away. "Major Johnson has a strong pulse!" she called, relieved. 

"Dr. Murphy does as well," Lorne reported. "I can't believe we missed them last night." He began to mentally berate himself.

"Not your fault, Major; it was dark." Elizabeth turned to one of the Marines who had just stepped through the gate. "Get Carson and a medical team here, ASAP!" she yelled. "And tell them to bring two stretchers."

"Yes, ma'am!" The Marine quickly redialed the Gate and dashed back through to Atlantis.

"Joshua, can you hear me?" Elizabeth asked, gently patting Johnson's cheek with the back of her hand.

Realizing that standing around, and more than likely being in the way, wasn't helping, Zelenka began searching for the transmitter. He located it next to the DHD, just as Lorne had discovered it the night before. He immediately began using his equipment to analyze the device.

The Marine couldn't have been gone longer than a minute before he returned with Carson and half a dozen EMT's. "What happened?" the Scottish physician asked, kneeling beside Major Johnson and checking his vital signs.

"I have no idea," Elizabeth said, backing up to give the medical teams room to work. "We found them like this." She chewed her lip nervously as she watched the medical personnel attend to the fallen men. In a matter of minutes, both Michael and Johnson were on the stretchers and being taken back through the Gate.

Just as Elizabeth was about to follow them through, Zelenka spoke up. "Dr. Weir, I calculated the range."

Elizabeth quickly walked over to stand beside him. "Yes?"

"When he was speaking with us, he had to have been within a one-mile radius of the Gate," he said, relieved at how much the search area had just been narrowed.

"Good work," she complimented and he began putting his equipment away. "Major Lorne?" she called to the team leader.

"Yes, ma'am?" he responded, approaching her.

"I had intended to join your team and hopefully talk to this Lord Stefan, but I have to make sure that Dr. Murphy and Major Johnson are alright," she said, pressing her lips together.

"Of course, ma'am. Don't worry," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll bring 'em home."

Elizabeth nodded. "I truly believe that. Find the rest of Johnson and Sheppard's teams and start searching. Zelenka said the transmitter only had a one-mile radius."

Lorne nodded and released her shoulder, placing his hand back on his P-90. "Alright, men, let's move out."

* * *

When the morning birds awoke Sheppard with their songs, he noticed that he was much warmer than when he had fallen finally asleep, shivering, last night. When he looked down, he realized that this was because, during in the night, Evie had somehow managed to wrap her chained arms around him and her warm body was now snuggled up against his. When he tried to stretch out a little, Evie grunted softly and tightened her hold on him. Sheppard stifled his chuckle, not wanting to wake her, and grinned widely. This would be amusing when she woke up. 

After a few minutes of the birds chirping loudly, Evie began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the Colonel's face only a few inches from hers. "Morning, Sunshine," he greeted.

Evie smiled slightly and then tried to pull back, to put a little space between them. She found she could not, however. "Whoops." She blushed as she quickly disentangled herself from him. "Sorry about that," she mumbled. "Guess I was cold."

Sheppard chuckled. "That's what they all say."

Evie shook her head, but couldn't stop the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I wond--" She stopped suddenly when she heard footsteps approaching. Moving as quickly as she could, she replaced their gags and slipped the chain back around her feet. She was getting better at this. Faster. She had the chain back where it belonged by the time the door opened and one of their captors entered.

It was the shorter one, the one who had held the knife yesterday. "Special delivery," he said sarcastically, brandishing a canteen. He pulled Evie's gag down and held the canteen to her lips. Evie eagerly gulped down nearly half the water. "I don't suppose you have any food to go with that?" she asked. "Like muffins... Muffins would be good…" Sheppard couldn't help but smile a little.

The man shook his head. "You wish." He retied her gag, making sure the knot was tight, then let Sheppard have the water that remained in the canteen. The water gone, the man quickly left, locking the door.

Evie waited a few moments before fighting the cuffs yet again and bringing her hands back in front of her. As she pulled down Sheppard's gag, they could hear Kenno and the other man arguing in the other room.

"No, Namos, you may not give them food." Kenno's voice.

"They'll starve to death, Marshala," Namos contended.

"Do I look like I care?" The scoffing expression on his face was evident by his tone. "I already told you, as soon as their people give us what we want, we're killing them."

Evie gasped when she heard this; she had assumed that they'd be released for a ransom.

"We're not going to let them go?" Namos asked in surprise.

"No, you idiot," Kenno replied, his voice sounding annoyed. "If we were going to release them, do you think we would have let them see our faces?"

At this, Evie pulled her knees into her chest and hugged them tightly. When Sheppard looked over at her, he thought she looked ready to cry. "Hey," he said gently, "Our teams won't let us down. We'll get out of this." Evie didn't act like she had heard him. She continued to stare at the wall in front of her, nervously biting a fingernail. "Evie, take a breath," Sheppard said softly, quoting something that Summer had always said to Evie when the Lieutenant was stressed. "Think of Puerto Rico."

Evie laughed lightly, enjoying the few seconds of relief this comment offered her.

"What happened in Puerto Rico, anyway?" Sheppard asked, his curiosity aroused.

"What? Oh. Umm…it's kind of an inside joke." She laughed softly again. Then the worried expression returned. "You really think we'll get out of this?" she asked, searching his eyes.

"I promise you we will," he replied. Trying to get her mind off their pending fate, he asked, "What's your favorite TV show?"

"Huh?" The subject jump had caught her off-guard. "Uhh…I'm gonna have to say 'Gilligan's Island'. Hands down."

"Funny stuff." He nodded.

"I wuv me some Gilligan," she grinned. "What about you?"

"Probably CSI," he answered. "I didn't watch much TV back home, but I loved those two shows."

"I never watched it," Evie admitted.

"You're kidding me," he said in disbelief. "Never?"

"Not a single episode," she confessed, shaking her head. Sheppard shook his head, shocked that she had never seen either show of the forensic franchise. "Wait," she paused for a moment, apparently lost in thought. "I think I saw part of Miami one time. These two CSI's got caught in a fire in the Everglades…but I fell asleep before it was over."

Sheppard nodded. "That was a good one."

Evie fell silent after a moment, spacing out and following a chain of thoughts that only had a logical connection in her mind. She smiled as memories played in her mind. "What are you thinking about?" Sheppard asked when he saw her in an obvious reverie.

"The first time we went on a mission together," she replied after a pause. "When we began trade with the Venalians, remember?"

"Yeah," he nodded, bringing up memories of his own from the assignment. "You in that dress…"

Evie shook her head. "That _would_ be the one part that you would remember."

Sheppard laughed. "My mother always told me I had a selective memory."

Evie smiled; she remembered more than just the dress…

"_Hey, did you finish the book?" Evie asked as she caught up with Summer, who was walking down the corridor. _

_Summer nodded. "Yeah, it was really good, huh?" _

_"I **told** you the butler did it!" Evie said with a smug grin. _

_Summer rolled her eyes. "But you **always** say that, Evie." _

_"Yeah, well I was right this time." Evie was very proud of herself for guessing the perpetrator in the novel. _

_"Yeah, but technically he had an accomplice," Summer pointed out as they walked. "The guy's daughter bought the poison." _

_"So it was the butler **and** Amelia. I still got it right," Evie insisted. Summer just shook her head. "So, did Michael say which team Dr. Weir was pairing us with?" Evie asked, referring to their mission to P6B-482 which was scheduled to happen in half an hour. _

_"Major Sheppard's team," Summer answered with a grin. "I wonder if he'll remember you." _

_"I hope not. I still feel bad about the whole ice cream thing," Evie muttered. _

_"Hey, that's not half as embarrassing as that one time at the Academy when Ralph caught you sk--mmm nng mmf!" _

_"You swore never to bring that up again!" Evie cried, her hand over her friend's mouth. "You mention that to anyone, and I'll tell Dr. Zelenka you have the hots for him. Got it?" Summer nodded solemnly. "Good." Evie removed her hand. "C'mon, we don't wanna be late." _

_The two women hurried to the Control Room, and found Dr. Weir talking with Majors Sheppard and Johnson. Teyla, Ford, and Rodney were gearing up. When Summer and Evie approached, Elizabeth was just leaving. Johnson turned to the women when he saw them. "Major Sheppard, these are two of the other members of my team. Captain Summer Akerly and Lieutenant Evangeline Brooks." He nodded to each of the women as he introduced them. _

_"I remember Evie. The one with the ice cream," Sheppard said with a grin. Evie blushed and nodded. _

_"We'll be leaving in about five minutes," Johnson said. "Michael is late as usual." _

_Summer and Evie laughed. _

_"Michael?" Sheppard asked, not knowing about whom they were speaking. _

_"Dr. Michael Murphy," Major Johnson said. "He's an anthropologist, and the last member of my team." _

_"And my fiancé ," Summer added. _

_"I see." Sheppard nodded. _

_"Ah, here he comes now," Johnson said, nodding his head towards the flustered young doctor who was walking quickly into the Control Room. _

_"Sorry I'm late," he apologized, dropping his heavy-laden pack onto the floor. _

_"Dr. Weir, both teams are in place," Johnson called. _

_"Good. Dial the planet," Elizabeth ordered the technician in front of her. _

_"Yes, ma'am." The lights began spinning as the chevrons locked, one by one. _

_"Major Johnson, should we be expecting any kind of trouble?" Evie asked, strapping on her 9 mm. _

_"Teyla says that her grandfather traded with them frequently and that they were a peaceful people," he replied, shouldering his pack. _

_"Just remember what happened with the Genii," Rodney commented, checking to see that his gun was in working order. _

_XXXXXX_

_The Venalians proved to be just as Teyla had said. A peaceful people, and more than willing to trade. While the Venalian society did not consider women to be less than men, women weren't allowed to interfere with the affairs of men, so Teyla, Summer, and Evie were kept company by Melia, the daughter of the village Governor, while the men discussed trading terms. _

_"This place is incredible," Summer commented to her colleagues. "It's like it hasn't been touched since the early 1700's." Summer was referring to the manner of dress, progress of technology, and architecture. _

_"It does seem very 'Pirates of the Caribbean'-ish, doesn't it?" Evie said. _

_"Pirates of where?" Teyla asked, confused. _

_"It's a movie," Summer answered. Teyla looked at her blankly. _

_"Surely Major Sheppard has explained movies and television to you," Evie said, surprised. Teyla shook her head. Evie sighed. "Did you ever put on a play on your planet? Act out a story?" _

_"Many times the children will perform versions of great battles our people have fought," Teyla answered. _

_"There ya go," Summer said. _

_"I still do not se--" _

_"Here we are!" Melia called back to them. She had been walking faster than the other women and had gotten ahead of them. She had led them to a beautiful, grassy meadow that lay beside a large lake. Melia had invited the women to go on a picnic, wanting to get to talk with them. _

_"Wow, Melia, this is great," Evie said, loving the simple beauty of the place. _

_Melia sat down several yards away from the lake and began unpacking the basket she had brought. "I hope you find our food to your liking," she said. The women licked their lips when she began pulling out fruit preserves, delicious-looking pastries, and small sandwiches. _

_"I seriously doubt there will be any complaining," Evie said, eyeing the preserves. _

_XXXXXX_

_After a delicious lunch, the women were walking along the edge of the lake, exchanging information about their different worlds before returning to the town. _

_"And so you can drive anywhere you want to go in these…cars?" Melia asked, fascinated. _

_"Well, they can't cross oceans or fly, but yeah," Summer said. "Evie, be careful, you don't want to fall in," she warned her companion who was walking right along the very edge of the water. _

_"Psh. I'll be fine," Evie replied. No sooner had she said this than her foot slipped and she fell right into the lake, her arms flailing as she went down. _

_Summer just laughed as she waited for her friend to bob above the water. _

_"Should we not help her?" Teyla asked, concerned. _

_"Oh, she'll be fine," Summer answered. When Evie's head broke the surface, gasping, Summer called, "I told you so!" _

_"Get me out of here, it's freakin' cold!" Evie said, shivering. _

_Summer reached her hand down and she and Teyla pulled their friend out. Summer grinned smugly nearly the whole way back. _

_When the four women returned, the rest of their teams were waiting for them. "Evie, what happened?" Johnson asked, slightly amused by her bedraggled appearance. _

_"F-fell in the la-lake, s-s-sir," she answered, shivering. _

_Johnson bit back a laugh. Michael and Ford didn't manage quite so well. "Ma'am, do you think she could borrow something dry?" he asked Melia. _

_Melia nodded. "Yes, I have some clothes she can wear. Come with me," she said, waving Evie inside the small house. A few minutes, some muffled grunting, and a yelp later, Melia led Evie out, looking very pleased with her work. _

_Evie now wore a light blue dress with a full skirt that reached her feet. The long sleeves were belled at the end and trimmed with white lace. She had a corset on underneath, which gave her that perfect "hourglass" figure. The bodice of the dress was rather low cut, and Evie thought it too revealing. _

_Michael let out a low whistle. "I must say I agree," Rodney said, nodding. Evie blushed and looked down. _

_"She'll fit right in at the celebration tonight," Melia said with a smile. _

_"Celebration?" Major Johnson asked. _

_"Didn't my father tell you? Tonight we are having our annual feast celebrating the defeat of the Sha'rik many years ago," Melia explained. "Oh, please stay. My father wishes that you would." _

_Sheppard looked to Johnson, who shrugged. "We'd be honored to stay for the festivities," Sheppard answered. _

_Melia smiled. "My father will be pleased. I shall go tell him." With that, she went off to find her father. _

_XXXXXX_

_The two Atlantis teams immensely enjoyed the rich feast that the Venalians had prepared for them. They had decided to stay for a while longer before gating back to Atlantis. Festive music was playing and Michael was enthralled by the strange instruments the Venalians possessed. A slightly inebriated Rodney was entertaining a group of young men with embellished tales of other missions. The others were enjoying talking with the friendly race as well. _

_All but Evie, that is. A Venalian man who had a little too much to drink wouldn't leave her alone. "You sure do look pretty in that dress," he slurred. _

_"Thank you," Evie answered with a forced smile. _

_"Hey, yo-you wanna go dddance?" _

_Evie doubted the man could stand up, let alone dance; besides, she didn't want to dance with him anyway. "I don't think that would be a good idea," she answered. She turned to go find Summer, but he grabbed her arm. _

_"But lotsa people are," he said, managing to stand up. "C'mon, honey, we'll have fffun." _

_Evie tried to pull away, but the drunk had a tight grip on her arm. "Let go! I said I do--" _

_"There you are." Evie turned to see Sheppard walking over to her. The man immediately released Evie's wrist. "I've been looking all over for you, **darling**," Sheppard said, placing his arm protectively around her waist; he was satisfied when he saw the man back down. "Would you care to dance?" _

_"Absolutely, **dear**," she answered, taking his hand. He led her to an open area where there were many other couples dancing to the festive music. She slipped her hand out of his. "Thank you so much, **darling**." She grinned. "Something tells me things were about to get ugly back there." _

_"No problem," he assured her with a smile. "But don't think that you can just get out of dancing with me, Lieutenant," he said, taking her hand again and placing his other hand lightly on her hip. _

_Evie laughed. "Yes, sir." She placed her hand on his shoulder, and they began dancing to the merry music. _

_"I actually was looking for you," Sheppard said after a moment. "We're gearing up to go home. I'm guessing you're returning your…outfit?" _

_Evie smiled. "Yes. My clothes won't smell so good, but at least they'll be dry by now." _

_Sheppard nodded and when neither one of them made another comment, silence soon set in. _

_"Is my dancing really that bad?" he asked after a moment. _

_"What?" Her mind had been elsewhere. _

_"You look like you're in pain," he commented. _

_Evie chuckled lightly. "You ever wear a corset, sir?" _

_"Well, I was going to pack mine, but I had just sent it out for dry-cleaning." His face was completely serious. _

_She laughed, at least as much as she was able in the constricting garment. She attempted to inhale deeply, but was restrained by the tight bodice. "Gah, I can barely breathe in this stupid thing," she complained as they continued dancing. _

_"You look nice though," he offered, spinning her away from him. _

_Evie smiled. "Thank you, sir." _

_Sheppard nodded and spun her back into his arms…_

Evie smiled slightly. "That's the kind of mission I like," she said. "The kind where nothing goes majorly wrong."

"Can't win 'em all," Sheppard murmured. He shifted so that he could lie down and rested his head on her thigh. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked, craning his neck to look up at her. She shook her head. He relaxed all of his sore muscles and closed his eyes, attempting to take a nap. Becoming lost in thought again after a few moments, Evie began absently running her fingers through his dark hair. The calming gesture would have had Sheppard almost asleep after a few minutes, but Namos suddenly threw open the door. He had planned on giving his prisoners some water, but he threw the canteen to the ground when he saw the removed gags and Evie's hands in front of her.

"Well, aren't you the talented little escape artist?" he asked with a wry grin. He grabbed her wrists and yanked her to her feet. If Sheppard had been able to stand, he would have attacked the man, but he could only watch as Namos slammed Evie up against the wall, pinning her arms above her head. Evie grunted and struggled against him, but his grip was strong. When he reached into his pocket for the keys, planning to better secure her, she steeled herself and smacked her forehead against his.

Namos groaned and released her, dazed by the hit. He called her a horrible name as he delivered a stinging backhand to the side of her face. Evie cried out as her lip was split by the force of his blow. She gently tongued the throbbing skin and tasted liquid tin. Sinking down to the floor, she watched as her tormentor pressed the heel of his hand to his head, trying to ease the throbbing ache. He swore and then muttered, "You're gonna pay for that later." With that, he left the room.

Evie winced as he slammed the door, hearing the deadbolt slide into place. The next thing she heard was their captors arguing loudly. She hoped that her rebellious act hadn't served to hasten their demise.

"You okay?" Sheppard asked, eyeing her with concern.

"I'm fine," she said with a sigh as she again tongued her split lip. "But in retrospect, I'm sensing that that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do." After a minute, she looked over at him, her eyes shining with a defiant fire. "Got any bright escape ideas?"


	7. R e s c u e, Rescue Aid Society

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay; I would have had this up earlier, but the website was being stupid. Also, a quick clarification: when Sheppard said that he "loved those two shows", he was referring to CSI and CSI: Miami, not CSI and Gilligan's Island. The Atlantis mission was launched before CSI: New York had made its debut, so that's why I said two shows and not three. And for everyone who wanted it, enjoy teh Shep whumpage. :D

* * *

**

**Chapter Six - "R-e-s-c-u-e, Rescue Aid Society"**

_"Sometimes life gets you, but we go on. Sometimes life gets you; we're still going on. We're not done yet, not going quietly into the night. Not me and my friends. We're not done yet. Don't take it too seriously, it's just life, we'll win in the end." - Superchick, "Not Done Yet"_

"They were shot with what?" Elizabeth asked as Carson tried to explain what had happened to Michael and Johnson.

"Some kind ofdart. That's the only thing that could have made the marks in the back of their necks," Carson explained, gently tilting Michael's head to the side so that the three tiny scars near the base of his neck could be seen. "And judging by the fact that they are both still unconscious, it was a _very_ powerful sedative."

"Are they going to be okay?" Elizabeth asked not caring that Carson saw the concern and fear on her face.

"Once they wake up, they should be fine," the Scottish physician answered gently. "But not knowing what kind of drug was used, I can't make any promises."

"And when will they wake up?" she asked, looking at the two men who were resting peacefully.

"I cannae say for sure," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Sometime soon, let's hope."

Elizabeth nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off the men. "Let's hope."

* * *

It didn't take long for Major Lorne to locate the other Atlanteans. When informed of the situation, Lord Stefan had seen to it that his visitors had been given room and board at the inn at no charge. Lorne quickly explained the plan to the explorers and told them what had happened. When he got to the part about Johnson and Michael, Summer began fighting back tears. First her best friend, now her fiancé. In true military fashion, however, she pulled herself together, focusing on the mission at hand. "My men and I will search the southern and eastern part of the radius," Lorne said to Rodney, who was assuming command of Teyla and Ronon in Sheppard's absence. 

"And we'll take, uh, north and west." Rodney nodded anxiously, grabbing his gun. "Got it. No problem. Not like they were kidnapped by huge, hulking men with, y'know, equally sizeable weap--"

"Radio us if you find anything," Lorne interrupted as he and his men stepped outside.

"Will do." When Rodney saw Summer gearing up, he asked, "Are you sure you want to come?"

"What do you mean?" Summer asked apprehensively.

"I just really don't think it's a good idea," Rodney answered, sliding a life signs detector into his vest pocket.

"She's my best friend!" Summer cried, annoyed at Rodney's attempt to control her. "And you're a man short without Colonel Sheppard, anyways."

Realizing that she had a valid point, Rodney backed down. "Alright. But are you prepared for the reality that they might both be dead, Captain?"

Summer nodded somberly and grabbed her P-90 from the table.

* * *

"You seriously think that Marshala is going to fall for the sick prisoner routine?" Sheppard asked, doubtful of their plan. 

"If you've got a better idea, I'm all ears," Evie responded, rolling over onto her side.

"Can you make it look real?" Sheppard asked, worried about the credibility of Evie's act.

"What, you want tears?" she asked.

"You can do that?"

"If I think of something sad enough."

"Go for it," he told her, impressed.

Evie thought for a moment, then said, "I've got it. We don't make it out of here and McKay inherits my computer."

Sheppard rolled his eyes. "Let's hope this works," he muttered, leaning back against the wall. Evie clutched her stomach and began groaning loudly. When Sheppard saw the tears forming, he began yelling, trying to get Kenno's attention.

After a few seconds, Kenno threw open the door, storming inside. "What the hell is going on?" he asked, annoyed by all the racket. "What happened?" he asked Sheppard when he saw Evie.

"I don't know. She just started moaning and grabbed her side." Sheppard could feel his adrenaline already starting to pump as he ran their planned actions over in his mind.

When Kenno saw the tears trickling down Evie's cheeks, he bent over her, trying to ascertain what was wrong with his prisoner. Suddenly, Evie's knees shot up, connecting hard with the man's groin. When he doubled over, Sheppard kicked the back of Kenno's knees, successfully knocking him to the floor. Retrieving her sock from her pocket, Evie shoved it into her captor's mouth before he had time for anything more than several pained groans; she knew it was still only a matter of time before Namos came rushing in, and so she began searching quickly for Kenno's pistol. "C'mon, c'mon. Where is it?" she muttered to herself.

"Hurry!" Sheppard whispered, glancing towards the door.

"I can't find it!" she cried softly, frantically digging through the man's pockets.

Suddenly, Sheppard felt the cold metal of a gun barrel pressed against the back of his neck. "Looking for this?" Namos asked, grinning smugly. Evie glanced up at Namos, her hands still in Kenno's jacket, the expression on her face similar to that of a deer caught in the headlights. Namos smacked Sheppard's head with the butt of the gun, the metal connecting with the Colonel's skull with a loud crack. The blow knocked John to the floor, and he groaned as intense feelings of pain and dizziness began battling inside his head.

Keeping his gun trained on Evie, Namos asked his superior, "So, what are we going to do with these two would-be heroes?"

Kenno, who had just extracted the sock from his throat, slowly stood to his feet, wincing slightly. "Kill them," he answered simply. When Namos aimed his gun at Sheppard, Kenno immediately waved him off. "No, you idiot! We're not going to kill them _quickly_!"

"Oh," Namos whispered, then he nodded. He uncocked his weapon, but kept it trained on the Colonel's head.

* * *

"Are you certain this is right?" Teyla asked, surveying the rows of empty buildings with obvious skepticism. 

Summer nodded. "Major Lorne said Dr. Zelenka calculated the signal radius, saying it came from somewhere within this area. We already searched the forest, and this abandoned settlement is right at the edge of the one-mile radius."

"We'll check the closest buildings first," Rodney said, pulling his life signs detector from his vest. The device began beeping frantically, then the screen pixilated and the apparatus shut down completely. "Oh, no…" Rodney began smacking the gadget. "No, no, no, no, no!" He walked over to Summer and unceremoniously yanked her device from her vest. It met the same fate as his. "I don't understand," he said, staring at the two dead life signs detectors in his hands. "He must be jamming them somehow. We're gonna have to search blind."

"Then let us not waste any time," Teyla said, drawing her weapon. The other three did the same as they quickly approached the nearest structure. Standing to the side of the door, weapon ready to fire, Teyla tried the doorknob. Locked. "It was worth a try," Rodney commented. "Ronon?" he commented, stepping aside with a mock-gracious sweep of his hand. Ronon nodded and forced the door open with one swift kick. The four of them rushed inside, eyes quickly searching for the two hostages. To their dismay, the building appeared to be deserted.

Several cries of "clear" later, they met up at the front of the building. With a frustrated sigh and a growing fear lurking in his eyes, Rodney said, "Let's try the next one, then."

As they strode quickly over to the next structure, something on the ground caught Summer's eye. "Hold up, guys," she said, bending down to examine the shiny object that had grabbed her attention. Picking up the small metal object, she brushed off the dirt. It was a high school ring. She held it up to the sunlight, trying to read the name that was etched on the inside of the band. Evangeline M Brooks. "This is Evie's ring!" she exclaimed.

"Then they've got to be around here somewhere," Ronon said, cocking his weapon and heading quickly for the door of the next house.

* * *

"Knife." Namos pulled the knife from its sheath at his waist and handed it to Kenno. Looking over at Evie, Kenno ordered, "Make sure that the Princess doesn't interfere." Namos nodded and changed the aim of his weapon from Sheppard to Evie. "In case you haven't noticed, Colonel," he said, pointing the knife at him, "I seem to have a bit of a sadistic streak." He walked slowly around behind his prisoner. "I'm so going to enjoy watching you die." In one swift motion, he slashed Sheppard's shoulder with the knife. John steeled himself and managed to keep his reaction down to just a grimace. 

Unsatisfied, Kenno cut him again, deeper than before. This time, Sheppard grunted in pain. Kenno grinned viciously and then placed the knife blade under the Colonel's throat, pressing the tip into the other man's flesh just enough to puncture the skin. Sheppard winced as he felt the blood slowly trickle down his neck. Kenno dragged the blade across Sheppard's throat, not deep enough to do any damage, but with enough pressure to graze the skin. Tears threatening to spill, Evie tried to crawl towards Sheppard, but was quickly stopped by a wave from Namos's gun.

* * *

"This is the third building we've tried," Ronon commented in frustration as he surveyed the dark, empty tavern. 

"The…facilities are all clear," Teyla said, exiting the restrooms in disgust. When the town had been abandoned, the citizens had obviously left in a hurry, not bothering to clean anything up; there was even some rotting food on the counters in the kitchen of the establishment.

"You know, Zelenka probably miscalculated. I should go back and run the numbers myself," Rodney commented for the thousandth time.

"For the last time, Dr. McKay, no," Summer answered curtly. "Seriously, when was the last time Zelenka miscalculated? But surely their captors were smart enough to radio us from a distance away from wherever they were holding Brooks and Sheppard. If that's the case, they could be in any of these buildings. Or even in another area entirely."

Rodney groaned. "Great."

"We can not give up on them," Teyla said, walking towards the entrance of the pub. "We _must_ keep searching." Spurred on by Teyla's undaunted perseverance, the other three quickly followed her to the next building.

* * *

As Namos watched Kenno continue to torment the Colonel with his knife, his radio suddenly started beeping. He answered the call quickly, never taking his weapon off Evie. "This is Varkin… Great… No, thank _you_, Dr. Weir." He ended the conversation with a grin. "Deal's closed." 

Kenno smiled. "See? Your world loves their precious Colonel Sheppard enough to pay a king's ransom just to have you back. Well, I'm sorry, but they are going to be sorely disappointed." He gave Sheppard a final nick on his cheek before trading weapons with Namos.

"Any last wishes?" Kenno asked, aiming his weapon at Sheppard.

"Yeah," Sheppard answered defiantly. "Actually, I do have one." He looked over at Evie, who was watching him worriedly, her lower lip trembling. He slowly managed to scoot over to her. Then he enveloped all her senses in a passionate kiss. Evie whimpered softly as his tongue gently parted her lips. She raised her hands, lifting the chain over his head, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his bruised body closer to hers.

Kenno rolled his eyes as he watched his hostages embrace. "Alright. Come on," he growled impatiently. Evie and John paid no attention to him, however. "That's enough, dammit!" Angrily, he fired his pistol, shooting a bullet into the Colonel's arm. Sheppard let out a loud groan of pain and fell against Evie, agonizing pain searing through his entire arm.

"John!" Evie managed to lower him somewhat gently to the ground. She bit her tongue to keep from shouting curses at Kenno. She pressed her hands against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, and Sheppard jerked violently with an anguished cry. "Sorry," she whispered as she angrily blinked back the tears that threatened to blur her vision.

"Oh, stop your whimpering," Kenno sneered. With a well-placed kick, he sent Evie sprawling onto the floor. "He won't be suffering _too_ much longer." He grinned wickedly as he trained his gun on the Colonel. "What do you think, Namos? Should I put a couple more holes in him before I finish him off?"

"I think he should have to watch you blow away his lady friend first," Namos replied, leering at Evie.

"That's good, Namos." Kenno smiled devilishly, his eyes glinting. "You like that idea, Colonel?" he asked, kicking Sheppard's wounded arm. Sheppard clenched his teeth, but couldn't completely stifle his pained groan. He looked fretfully at Evie and saw the fear he felt reflected in her eyes.

Kenno turned to Evie and aimed the gun at her abdomen, deciding that a bullet to her head would be too quick a death.

Suddenly, there was a loud splintering sound as the door was kicked open. Rodney and Ronon burst into the room, followed quickly by Teyla and Summer, all four training their weapons on Kenno. "Drop your weapon!" Ronon commanded. Evie sighed shakily as relief flooded her fatigued body. Even though he realized he was horribly outnumbered, Kenno looked like he just might shoot Sheppard anyway. "You shoot, I shoot," Ronon warned.

Glaring vengefully at the Colonel, Kenno reluctantly dropped his gun, the weapon landing on the floor with an echoing clatter.

Spotting the knife in Namos's hand, Teyla aimed her gun at his head. "You, as well," she ordered. Being more of a coward than Kenno, Namos quickly released his blade. Teyla quickly grabbed both weapons, securing them at her hip.

"Ronon," Rodney said, never taking his eyes off the two kidnappers, "will you escort these two gentlemen outside? And be nice."

Ronon nodded and holstered his weapon. Grabbing each man by the back of his collar, he dragged them roughly out of the building.

As soon as the criminals were out of the room, Rodney, Teyla, and Summer lowered their weapons and rushed over to their battered and bruised companions. Evie was already by Sheppard's side, checking his wound worriedly. "We've got to get Carson in here now!" she urged, seeing how much blood Sheppard had already lost.

"Ronon," Rodney spoke into his mic. "Get Beckett sent here, stat. And radio Lorne that we found them. Summer, we need the keys for these cuffs." Summer ran quickly outside and appeared only half a minute later with the keys in her hand. She quickly set to work unlocking the restraints around Evie's hands and feet as Teyla gave Sheppard a small amount of water from her canteen.

As soon as Evie was free of her bonds, she moved behind Sheppard and gently lifted his head into her lap. His blood loss was substantial enough that he was beginning to lose consciousness. "John," Evie said softly, "Carson's on his way, but you gotta hold on, alright?" She gently stroked the side of his face as Summer began removing the Colonel's chains. Sheppard was fighting to keep his eyes open. "We're safe now, John. Just stay with me. Stay with me…"


	8. Wuv, Twoo Wuv

_"All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right. I'm tripping on words. You've got my head spinning. I don't know where to go from here. 'Cause it's you and me and all other people, with nothing to do, nothing to prove. And it's you and me and all other people, and I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you." - Lifehouse, "You and Me" _

When John Sheppard awoke, he was aware of two things. One, his arm throbbed with a dull, aching pain. And two, he was _hungry_. As he looked around, he recognized the familiar room in which he was yet again temporarily residing. Heck, he was almost used to sleeping in these blasted infirmary beds! When he looked down, he saw Evie in a chair she had dragged close to the bed. He must have been out of it for a while, because she was currently asleep with the top half of her body draped next to him on the bed. He smiled and gently stroked her hair, waiting for her to stir. After a moment, her eyes fluttered open and she looked relieved when she saw him. "Mornin' Sleeping Beauty," he teased quietly.

"Glad you're back with us, John," Evie said with a relieved smile. She sat up and stretched, her muscles sore from sleeping in that awkward position.

He looked her up and down. "You're not hurt, I take it?" he asked, noting her bandaged wrists.

"Definitely not as bad as you," she said, in reference to the fifteen stitches in his shoulder, the bullet wound in his arm, and the bandages on his neck and cheek. "Busted lip, terribly chafed wrists and ankles, and a little dehydrated, but that's it. How are you feeling?"

"My arm hurts," he deadpanned.

"Wonder why?" Evie teased. "Carson managed to get the bullet out when we got back here. Summer had to use her scrunchies as a makeshift tourniquet." She smiled slightly at the memory of Carson brusquely removing the Captain's hair elastic. "Oh, yeah, by the way… why did you kiss me?"

Sheppard shrugged. "I don't know. I was about to be shot. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

While this comment would have offended or incensed most women, Evie laughed, recognizing it to be a paraphrased movie quote. "So, what exactly did you mean by it?" She silently hoped it hadn't just been an effort for one last cheap thrill.

Meeting her expectant hazel eyes, he answered softly, "That if we were going to die, I was going to make sure you knew that I cared for you as more than a friend and hope to hell that you reciprocated. And judging by your response, you do." He had managed to find her hand without taking his eyes off hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Yes, sir," she whispered with a smile. "When did you first…"

"After the Perasia mission," he answered. "When you saved my neck."

Evie nodded with a thoughtful smile. When one of the nurses walked by, she started, suddenly remembering something. "Oh! I was supposed to go get Carson and tell him you're awake."

"Wait just a second. Come here."

Evie looked at him quizzically. "What?"

Sheppard beckoned her closer with his finger. When Evie leaned in closer to him, he sat up and captured her lips with his. When Evie made no objection, he brought his uninjured hand up to tangle through her hair and deepened the kiss.

Evie pulled away after a minute, blushing. "_Now_ you can go get Carson," Sheppard said with a boyish grin.

Evie stood and crossed the infirmary to where the good doctor had gone to check on another patient. "Oh, Carson…" she called.

Carson looked up to see who was calling for him. When he saw Evie approaching, he patted the arm of the young man on whom he was checking and said, "I'll be back later." He strode over to Evie. "And just what are you doing out of bed, young lady?" he asked, trying to be stern but not quite succeeding.

"You told me to let you know when Colonel Sheppard woke up," she said quickly.

"Aye. I said to let me know, not to come and get me. You're still very weak and need to rest," he insisted.

"But, Carson, I really feel fine," she protested. Carson put his hands on his hips and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, sir," she said, giving him a mock salute before scurrying back to the bed beside Sheppard's.

Carson tapped his radio and informed Dr. Weir that Sheppard was awake. Then he walked over to stand by his patient's bed. "Good to see you're awake, Colonel," he commented, smiling at the wounded pilot. "So how are you feeling?"

"Well, my arm is killing me, I've got a headache, and I'm starving. _But_," he paused for dramatic effect, "I don't want to complain." He finished with one of his trademark sarcastic grins.

"Well, I'll give you another dose of painkillers, but I--" He was cut off by Elizabeth and an entourage of concerned teammates entering the infirmary.

"Colonel Sheppard," Elizabeth greeted with a smile. "Glad you're alright. Excellent work, Carson," she said, nodding to the doctor.

"If you call starving to death 'alright', then, yeah, I'm fine," Sheppard said, trying his best to look pitiful. Then his expression changed, as if he just remembered something. "What happened to Marshala and…what was his name…the fat one?"

"We handed them over to the Emarians," Ronon answered, then looked over at Rodney. "But only because McKay wouldn't let me shoot 'em."

"Lord Stefan assured us that they and their accomplice, Jakof, will stand trial and be punished accordingly for their actions," Teyla ensured from her stance at the foot of Sheppard's bed.

"Oh." Summer reached into her pocket and pulled out her friend's ring. "I believe you dropped this," she said, handing it to Evie.

"Thanks, dear," Evie said, sliding the ring back onto her finger.

"Ah, yes. That was very clever, Lieutenant," Rodney said, bestowing a rare compliment.

"Thank you, Doctor," Evie said with a nod.

With a quiet sigh, Summer squeezed Michael's hand. She had been so relieved when she had returned to Atlantis to find him and Major Johnson safe and sound…

_"Where is Dr. Murphy?" Summer asked the first medical worker she saw. _

_"Dr. Beckett just released him as well as Major Johnson, ma'am," sweet Nurse Emma replied. "I believe they went to the mess hall." _

_"Thank you." With that, Summer began quickly walking down the corridor to the mess hall. When she got there, she anxiously scanned the tables for her fiancé. She saw the young doctor grabbing a tray and getting a large plate of food. She quickly approached him. "Michael, thank God you're alright." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. _

_Michael kissed her gently. "I'm fine, Summer. Did you find Evie and Colonel Sheppard?" he asked worriedly. _

_Summer nodded, her arms remaining around him. "They're in the infirmary. Sheppard was shot in the arm and Evie's just a little dehydrated." Suddenly, Summer noticed, seemingly for the first time, Johnson standing behind Michael. "Major Johnson! It's good to see you safe as well, sir," she said, shaking his hand. _

_"Oh, he gets a hug and a kiss and I just get a handshake?" Johnson asked, feigning offense. _

_Summer blushed; she didn't generally indulge in public displays of affection with Michael. _

_When he saw her cheeks color slightly, Johnson left the subject alone. "So who took them prisoner, Captain?" _

_Summer took a step back so that the two men could pile some food on their plates. "One of the militia men and his tubby little sidekick. They were planning on taking control of Emaria and the villages on the other side of the planet. They just needed the firepower and a jumper." _

_"Some people…" Michael said, shaking his head as he reached for a slice of pie. The three teammates sat down at a table and Johnson and Michael began eating hungrily; Carson hadn't allowed them to consume any food until now. _

_"So, what happened to the two of you?" Summer asked, swiping some of the whipped cream from the top of Michael's pie and licking it off her finger. _

_Johnson swallowed his bite of sandwich and told her what little there was of their tale. "The last time I had checked my watch, it was a little after 2200. I was standing by the gate and Michael was asleep a few feet away - he was going to stand guard at 0200. I thought I heard something, so I readied my P-90. Suddenly, I felt a stabbing pain at the back of my neck. Before I could bring my hand up to feel what it was, or even alert Michael, I had blacked out. Beckett said that it must have been a dart with a pretty strong drug." _

_Summer nodded, her hand straying to find Michael's. She was so relieved that it was all over…_

"Well, Colonel," Elizabeth said after seeing that both patients were on the mend, "we'll let you and the Lieutenant get some rest. I hope that arm heals quickly. If it doesn't, I pity the nurses who will have to listen to you whine about wanting to get back to work," she commented with a wry smile.

"I'll be good," Sheppard promised.

As the team members filed out of the infirmary, Rodney stayed behind for a moment. "I thought you said you weren't going to let being held prisoner become a habit," the scientist said, crossing his arms.

"Well, you know how things go when you're popular," Sheppard answered, then couldn't resist the barb that popped into his head. "No, I guess you wouldn't, would you?" He grinned.

Rodney sighed and rolled his eyes. Life was back to normal.

Fin

* * *

**Author's Note: Whee! That was fun. Thanks for coming along on this ride with me, guys. And don't worry, I'm already about a third of the way done with a the sequel(no thanks to Tigger, hehe). And, yes, it will deal with the fact that since they are both officers under the same command they wouldn't be allowed to actually have a relationship. I want to thank all you _nice_ people who reviewed; you guys made it worth my while. And special thanks again to Commodore Norrington and Tigger: I couldn't have done this without you guys. I'll try to post teh sequel in May-ish. I hope y'all enjoyed this. **

**the-Bookworm-Princess :D**


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